


The subway is for sad people

by cryingtoast



Series: Ordinary people, crazy events and perfect love stories [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Bisexual, F/F, Fluff, Mention Of Homophobia, Minayeon, Still a bit sad, it's cute, jsut spent 2 hours trying to find what nayeon n mina ship name is and i have no fucking idea, michaeng, nachaeng
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-06 02:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21218702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryingtoast/pseuds/cryingtoast
Summary: The midnight train goin' anywhere isn't perfect until you put a heart broken bride, a goth girl with a raven and a drunk college drop out in the same wagon.or,Mina, Chaeyoung and Nayeon don't meet under ideal circumstances, but they make the best out of it.





	The subway is for sad people

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this  
https://www.reddit.com/r/blursedimages/comments/dmzu5a/blursed_commute/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf 
> 
> suggested soundtrack : satisfaction guaranteed - TDCC // dancing queen - ABBA // modern love - David bowie // walking on sunshine - katrina and the waves // bad reputation - joan Jett //sunflower - post malone & swae lee
> 
> not proofread, as always

The subway isn’t a place you expect to meet very special people at. Depending on where your from, it’s dirty, always packed, smells terrible, and you don’t want to end up there at 2am. 

But it’s always full of surprises, whether good or bad. You could witness a fight, or make friends with a bunch of very drunk but kind guys, girls, people simply trying to get home safely from their special weekly break. You could get annoyed by a baby crying, or make them laugh by doing silly faces, putting a smile rather than a frown on some other passengers’ faces. 

You could consider jumping on the rails, like that poor bride with smudged make up who’s sobbing like her life is about to end, then shake your head out of realisation that, one, it would hurt like hell, two, people would be late because of you. And the bright yellow sign on the wall across you asking not to jump is simple but convincing. The bride shares the same thoughts as you, and decides to sit down on the bench, head in her hands, now wondering what she had done to deserve such a fucked up wedding, with her fiancé disappearing right before the ceremony. 

“She probably had bigger boobs.” Her (already) drunk uncle had said, sharp, as always. What a jerk. 

It hurts more than she would like to admit. It felt like she had wasted 4 years of her life dating, caring for, looking after nothing more but an asshole who left her for someone she didn’t even know the name of. She had been humiliated in front of both of their family, for something that wasn’t even her fault. And now there she is, looking all miserable in a nearly empty subway station after running away from the ceremony. 

When the train finally comes, she wipes her cheeks, making the mix of tears and mascara even worse. She has no idea where it’s heading, but she steps in, not even caring about what others will say about her anymore - what’s the worst that could happen ? Getting stabbed by psychopath and dying there ? Doesn’t sound that terrible after today’s events. She looks around, the doors closing behind her in a muffled sound, and stares at the only 2 persons in the train ; a seemingly asleep girl leaning over a poll, pizza slipping out of its box since it’s under little to no control, reaching the dirty, sticky floor, and a young girl all dressed in black, wearing the heaviest boots she has ever seen, a gigantic raven standing quietly on her knee. 

The sight is uncommon, even in the subway, and for an instant, Mina thinks she’s been thrown into another dimension, one better, but crazier than hers. She stumbles as the train move, reminding her that velocity and balance are still a thing. 

The young girl stares back at her, giving her a smile that seems to be too bright for someone dressed like a gothic (that might just be prejudices, though), and she pats the spot next to her, inviting her to sit down with them. 

So the bride does, and the second the goth girl offers her tissues and a bottle of water, she starts crying again, apologizing profusely for how terrible she looks and how bothersome she’s being. But the goth girl doesn’t stop smiling, and only responds to her kindly. 

“It’s alright, you’ve been through a rough day, and it’s late, you must be tired,” she runs a hand on her crow, who closes its eyes in satisfaction. “there’s only us around anyway. Pour your emotions out. My name is Chaeyoung, by the way. Nice to meet you.” she adds, making small talk to reassure the newcomer. 

Still beaming, she reaches for her shoulder in a comforting way, the crow letting a tiny noise escape its beak, it’s yellow eyes now looking at her like it agrees with the young girl. 

“I’m Mina,” the bride manages to choke out, her throat feeling too tight to speak but her will to respond to Chaeyoung being stronger. “Thank you.” Her grip around the bottle gets tighter, and she starts crying again, as quietly as she can, conscious that a girl is sleeping not far, Chaeyoung still rubbing her shoulder. 

Mina decides to look around to calm herself, focusing her mind on something else than her feelings to finally stop crying. The windows are dirty, stained by fingerprints, old chewing gums and tags. The seats aren’t of good quality, clearly worn off, their colors slowly but surely fading away ; it’s loud, too, the sound of the train going on the rails. Despite all that, it’s warm, and it feels more comfortable than the thought of going back ‘home’ to the place she lovingly decorated with a cheater. Her eyes finally land on 3 big bags on the seats in front of them, all labeled CH in big, bold letters. She takes a breath and turns around, catching Chaeyoung looking at the bags with a concerned expression. She looks back at Mina when she notices she’s being watched, and gives her yet another smile, any sign of worry fade away. 

“I got kicked out.” She says as if it’s the most natural thing that could happen to anyone, the most simple explanation ever.

“But you - why ?” Mina’s eyes widen. 

“Got caught kissing another girl,” Chaeyoung answers confidently, petting the crow. “I thought we were being careful, I guess not. Should have seen it coming. My parents aren’t the most supportive, you see.” 

“What are you going to do ? Is there anyone to help you ?” Mina asks, now very concerned for the wellbeing of the young girl, her own problems forgotten for a moment. 

“Not really, until I met her,” she points at the sleeping girl on her right. “This is Nayeon, college dropout, from what I understood, ran into me completely drunk at the pizzeria. She said she would take me in if I paid for her pizza, so we’re heading to her flat. I don’t recommend eating that thing, though. Seems dirty under it.” 

Mina stays quiet for a moment, the train coming to a stop, nobody else coming in, before moving again. She doesn’t know what to say at the situation Chaeyoung just revealed, her hands fiddling with the bottle, thoughts running way too fast for her own mind to comprehend. Who would be crazy enough to follow a total, drunk stranger home ? 

“You can come with us if you want,” a raspy voice speaks up, and they both turn to Nayeon, who’s looking at Mina between her bangs, eyes half closed. “You look miserable. But I like your dress, it’s - it’s cool.” 

Despite - or maybe because of - the absurdity of the situation and the terrible state of mind Mina is in, she laughs at the comment, feeling a little bit of sadness leave her shoulders. She leans forward, still focused on Nayeon, her eyes moving from terribly tired ones to the mismatched socks and the fallen pizza. 

“You don’t look too good yourself, if I may. Pathetic would be more accurate, even,” she might be feeling down, but it doesn’t mean she can’t fire back. “Nice socks though.” 

Chaeyoung leans back into her seat with a laugh, her raven jumping on her shoulder as Nayeon and Mina stare down at each other, neither of them breaking contact until Nayeon realizes the pizza is falling out of its box, and she quickly reaches down to grab it, almost face palming into the floor if it wasn’t for Chaeyoung pulling her back on their seats. 

She brings the box close to her chest and leans on the young girl’s free shoulder with a sigh. 

“So, are you up to it ?” Nayeon asks, looking at Mina’s reflection in the windows. 

“Up to what ?” the used-to-be bride asks in a tired voice. 

“Staying with us, at least for tonight ?” 

From there, everything is a blur as they move in a hurry ; Mina remembers agreeing, their train coming to a stop, Nayeon shouting that it’s their stop, Chaeyoung struggling to get a hold of her 3 way too big bags while taking care of her raven before the door closes. Then, it is only street lights, the feel of her hands wrapped around a way too expensive wedding dress, laughter and smells from the restaurants of the street they stopped at, and finally, a foreign but already welcoming door. 

Nayeon, of course, fumbles with the keys, and lets out a triumphal shout when she gets it right. Mina helps Chaeyoung with the bags, the raven already settled on a chair, as if it knew where it was already. 

They drop the bags at the entrance, Nayeon disappearing into the bathroom, and Mina following the youngest of the three in the living room. She smiles as Chaeyoung lets herself drop on the couch, and she reaches for the window, looking down at the busy city, not asleep yet under the night sky. 

The place is cozy, not exactly something Mina had expected to see a drunk dropout college student live in. It smells clean, the walls plastered with soft colors, and the lighting around them is dim ; she admires a wide, tall bookshelf in the corner, and gets closer to it, her fingers running on the exposed books.

“Hey, Mina,” Nayeon calls from the bathroom. “Come here.” 

The girl seems to have sobered up a bit, and she gestures for Mina to sit on a stool in the middle of the small room. Makeup cleaning supplies are gathered by the sink, and the bride lets herself relax as Nayeon begins to take care of the mess on her cheeks. 

Soft fingers wrap around her chin, gently lifting her head up, another hand carefully wiping the smudged, black spots. It feels refreshing, and she closes her eyes, trusting Nayeon completely. 

“Are you guys hungry ?” a voice asks, and Mina feels herself nod. 

“Yeah. Don’t burn my kitchen, please.”

They both laugh, Chaeyoung grumbling something inaudible from behind the wall. Soon enough, it starts to smell great around the apartment, and Mina opens her eyes up, meeting with Nayeon’s. It saddens her a bit to see so much exhaustion in such pretty eyes, but the thought that she might be able to help is uplifting. 

She thanks her host as she looks at herself in the mirror, and Nayeon points at a pile of clothes by the corner, suggesting her to change before joining them in the kitchen. 

“Damn, you’re good,” Mina hears as she sits down at the table a short while after, fresh clothes on. 

“You only think that because you’re still drunk,” Chaeyoung says, looking down at her own plate. “I’ve tasted my own cooking, definitely not that tasty, but it feeds.” 

“Don’t look down on yourself like that, I’m sure Nayeon is being truthfully honest, even if she doesn’t have all of her head. It might not be the best, but it’s homemade food, and nothing beats that. Thank you for the meal,” Mina argues, Nayeon hitting her at the comment. She takes a bit of everything the younger girl has managed to prepare with the rice - she doesn't hesitate to put a full spoon in her mouth, and smiles wide. “It is good ! nice job.” 

She looks up to Chaeyoung looking down at her bowl, cheeks bright, a shy but contented smile on her lips. 

“Say, what exactly happened to you ?” Nayeon asks curiously after finishing her bowl, looking at Mina with expectant eyes. 

“I got dumped on my big day, I think.” 

“Ya think?” it sounds sarcastic, but not mean. “Tell me that dumbass’s name and Chaeyoung and I will teach him a lesson.”

“Uh ?” the young girl stops eating, staring at Nayeon with wide eyes. “Oh no. have you seen me ? pretty sure I can throw a punch, but fighting a dude ? no, no.”

“I thought you were a witch, girl,” the older girl leans forward, sounding very much convinced by her statement. “You dress in full black, you have a raven and shit ! Your boots could probably crush a hand ! and have you seen your arms ? you’re clearly stacked.” 

“Me dressing this way doesn’t mean I’m pro violence, nor that I'm some kind of magical entity. And I’m not involving Sunny into your schemes.” Chaeyoung says, waving her chopsticks around before going back to eating. 

“You named that bird Sunny ?” Mina pitches in, and Nayeon snorts. 

They spend the rest of the night chatting, opening up to each other, Mina crying again, Nayeon not helping her own case by opening a few cans of beer, Chaeyoung fighting with Sunny over chips. 

They all come to the conclusion that their lives have reached some deep, terrifying point ; Mina is sure she can’t reach out to her family before a while, convinced that they won’t try to either (she doesn't want to deal with them now anyway). Nayeon hasn’t been to class for 3 months, working 2 jobs full time instead, while doing her best to make a career out of singing, her parents not agreeing to support her financially anymore since she dropped out : now slowly turning into some kind of organized alcoholic. Chaeyoung, literally homeless, graduated high school student and rising artist who got rejected from multiple art schools, isn’t really sure what to do. She just knows she would kiss another girl any time, if she gets the chance. 

“I’m going to work on monday, of course. I might be avoiding my family now, but I can’t just - put everything on hold, can I ?” 

“For a bit, I’m sure it’ll be okay. Should we go to your place tomorrow ?”

They’re on the balcony, Sunny watching over them, Chaeyoung flat on the floor, Mina and Nayeon with their back on the high window. The youngest shivers as a soft wind blows on her face. 

“If you don’t mind, yes.” 

“It’s cool. This place is too big for me alone anyway. If you plan on staying a bit, I would appreciate you helping me with some stuff, money related.” nayeon anxiously bites down on her finger, looking at Mina, worried. 

“Of course.” the girl reassures her with a nod. 

“How come you got such a high placed job at your age ?”

“There’s a lot of advantages from taking over a part of your grandfather’s establishment. He trusted I had enough capabilities to work as soon as I could. And, I guess he was right, since I'm still at the top there.”

“Impressive.” 

“What about me ? what can I do to help ?” Chaeyoung asks in a weak voice, feeling a bit useless after hearing the older women chat. 

“As long as you promise to keep working hard on your artwork, I’ll let you stay here,” Nayeon answers softly, taking another sip of her beer. “You better show us some stuff tomorrow. You sounded passionate earlier. And keep cooking, too.”

“Sure, I promise !” she lifts her hand, offering her pinky to Nayeon, who wraps hers around in a giggle. 

Before going to sleep, they decide to make a list of the most important points they need to work on, personal or not, for the wellbeing of themselves or to improve their lives as a now strong, supportive trio. 

They surprisingly all fit into Nayeon’s bed, Chaeyoung arguing that no, it’s not because she’s the shortest that she needs to be in between the two of them ; but the content face and arms wrapped around her torso the next morning tell Mina that she was more than happy to sleep there.

\-- 

As the months pass, Mina likes to look at how their list is going. They’ve now settled into her own apartment, after Nayeon and Chaeyoug offered to redecorate it right after stepping a foot in for the first time. Facing her parents again has been checked out for a while, so has reaching out to her ex fiancé, who gave her a clear explanation of what happened, and she forgave him. ‘Cleaning the wedding dress’ had been changed to ‘burning it’, and she crosses it out, remembering their last weekend. 

Nayeon has a few points checked, too : she went back to college, made up with her parents, still works after class but less than before. Her singing is starting to reach important ears, too, her effort constantly pushed by two supportive girls. Hasn’t drunk much since the subway meeting, and Mina smiles at the ‘sober for 7 months !’ written in bright, red letter in what seems to be Chaeyoung’s handwriting. 

The younger girl kept her promise, as she’s been preparing for her first exhibit for weeks now. They’re all looking forward to it, and Mina has been preparing a surprise party, too. The line ‘kiss a girl’ has been doodled on, now reading ‘kiss TWO GIRLS’ in pink, and crossed out, with a smiley on the side. ‘Release Sunny into the wild’ remains unchecked, as every time they tried to set it free, the bird came back. Her cooking is only improving, the long list of meals the two older girls want her to cook getting shorter. 

Mina finally looks away from the list, reaching for her coat as she gets ready to go out. She’s meeting up with two fantastic people soon, and the subway can’t wait. 

It might be for happy people too, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> life update : i have a crush on a girl who has a bf, started drinking alcohol (liqueur de litchi *mwah*) and i play minecraft instead of working on school projects. life is good.


End file.
